Fan blade and faring structure



Aug. 24, 1937. E. NEWNHAM I FAN BLADE AND FARING STRUCTURE Filed July 6, 1956 Patented Aug. 24, 1937 PATENT QFFIcE FAN BLADE AND FARING STRUCTURE Eugene Newnham, St.

Louis, Mo., assignor to Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,106

13 Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a fan blade or other disk-like driven member and a faring element associated therewith, the device being comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive from a manufacturing standpoint.

A further object is to provide, in combination with a fan or other sheet metal driven member, a faring element for enclosing the end of a shaft and/or a hub connected with the driven member,

such faring-element being readily positioned and manipulated so that it will remain permanently in position with a minimum of operations for the assembly of the fan and faring element.

Another object is to provide a faring structure for a sheet metal fan or the like which is accurately positioned relative to the axis of rotation of the fan so that when assembled, there will be no danger of the fan being off center and thereby causing wabble of the fan shaft due to centrifugal action upon rotation thereof.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims, and illustrated on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fan blade and faring structure embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figure 3 is an enlarged, front, elevation of the central portion of the fan with the faring element removed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the-faring element.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing the faring element being assembled relative to the fan.

Figure 6 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing the parts assembled with the exception of one of the tongues, which is not yet bent over; and

Figure '7 is a greatly enlarged view of the-portion of Figure 6 within the circle I thereof.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character A to indicate generally a fan, and B a faring element. The fan A comprises a central disk-like portion l0 and blade portions l2 which radiate therefrom. The portions l0 and I! are preferably integrally formed of a single piece of sheet metal.

The disk-like portion Ill is provided with an annular groove ll, which is concentric with the axis of rotation of the fan A. This groove is formed by depressing the sheet metal, as best shown in Figure '7, and provided an annular I trough or groove in which the peripheral edge of the cap B is seated and accurately positioned concentric with the axis of rotation of the fan A, in a manner which is obvious after an inspection of Figure 7. The peripheral edge of the cap or faring element B is indicated at l6, and it will be noted that it rests in the bottom of the groove l4.

For securing the faring element B in position, I provide a plurality of tongues l8 which are spaced apart and formed on the periphery 16 of the faring element B. These are adapted to extend through perforations 20 in the disk-like portion 10 located at the bottom of the annular groove l4. After the tongues l8 enter the perforations 20, they are bent over as indicated at 3a in Figure 6, and by dotted lines in Figure '7.

The faring element B is adapted for making the fan blade A neater in appearance without forming the faring element of the metal of the blade, so that the central portion 22 of the disklike portion Ill, within the outline of the annular groove l4, may be retained for connection to a shaft 24 of an electric motor or the like. For the purpose of such connection I provide a hub 26 extending through a bore in the portion 22 and having its end spun over at 28 to retain it in position. A set screw 30 is provided for connecting the hub with the shaft 24. This is tightened against the shaft prior to assembly of the faring element B in position.

The faring element B encloses and conceals the shaft, the hub, and the set screw and provides a permanently enclosed assembly after the tongues l8 are bent over as indicated at 18a. The annular groove-like depression l4, besides providing a seat for the peripheral edge of the faring element B, reinforces the central portion of the fan blade A against undesirable bending.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, audit is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fan blade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade portions radiating therefrom, said disk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a hub secured to said disk-like portion, an imperforate cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depression and means for retaining said faring element in seated position. I

2.. In a fanblade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade portions radiating therefrom, saiddisk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a hub secured to said disk-like portion, a cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depression and means for retaining said faring element in seated position, said means comprising a plurality of spaced apart tongues formed on the peripheral edge of said faring element, said disk-like portion having perforations at the bottom of said annular groovelike depression to receive said tongues.

; 3. In a fan blade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade portions radiating therefrom, said disk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a hub secured to said disk-like portion, a cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depressions and means for retaining said faring element in seated position, said means comprising a plurality of spaced apart tongues formed on the peripheral edge of said faring element, said disk-like portion having perforations to receive said tongues.

4. In a fan blade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade-like portions radiating therefrom, said disk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depression and means for retaining it so seated.

5. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a shaft connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing and concealing the end of said shaft comprising a cup-like faring element, said disk-like driven member having an annular groove formed therein, the peripheral edge of said faring element being seated therein and means for securingsaid faring element to said disk-like driven member, saidmeans comprising spaced slots and tongue connections at the bottom of said annular groove.

6. In a fan blade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade portions radiating therefrom, said disk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a. hub secured to said disk-like portion, a cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depression and means for retaining said faring element in position to cover said hub and the end of the shaft for the fan blade extending into said hub.

7. In a fan blade and faring structure, a sheet metal member having a central disk-like portion and a plurality of blade portions radiating therefrom, said disk-like portion having an annular groove-like depression formed therein, a hub secured to said disk-like portion, a cap shaped faring element having its peripheral edge seated in said groove-like depression and means for retaining said faring element in seated position, said means comprising a plurality of spaced apart tongues formed on the peripheral edge of said faring element, said disk-like'portion having perforations at the bottom of said annular groove-like depression to receive said tongues, said faring element when secured in position covering said hub and concealing it.

8. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a shaft connected therewith for driving said member, said disk having a receiving groove in its face, and means for enclosing and concealing the end of said shaft comprising an imperforate cup-like faring element having a part thereof seated against and within said receiving groove and secured to said disk-like driven member.

9. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a shaft connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing and concealing the end of said shaft comprising an imperforate cup-like faring element, said disk-like driven member having an annular groove-like depression formed therein receiving the peripheral edge of said cup-like faring element and means for securing the faring element in position.

10. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a hub connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing said hub and concealing it comprising an imperforate cup-like faring element having its peripheral edge seated against said disk-like driven member and secured thereto, said disk member having a receiving groove in its face and said faring element having a portion thereof received in said groove and means of connection between said last portion of the faring element and said disk-like member.

11. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a hub connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing said hub and concealing it comprising a cup-like faring element, said disk-like driven member having an annular groove-like depression formed therein to receive the peripheral edge of said cuplike faring element and means for securing said faring element in position with its edge in said depression.

12. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a hub connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing said hub and concealing it comprising a. cup-like faring, said disk-like driven member having an annular groove-like depression formed therein to receive the peripheral edge'of said cup-like faring element and means for securing said faring element in position with its edge in said depression, said means comprising a plurality of spaced apart tongues formed on the peripheral edge of said faring element, said disk-like driven member hav ing perforations at the bottom of said depression to receive said tongues.

13. In a device of the class described, a disklike driven member, a shaft connected therewith for driving said member and means for enclosing and concealing the end of said shaft comprising a cup-like faring element, said disk-like driven member having an annular groove formed therein, the peripheral edge of said faring element being seated therein and means for securing said faring element to said disk-like driven member.

EUGENE NEWNHAM. 

